


Visceral

by celedan



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Anal Sex, Established Relationship, Even Out of his Mind Jack wants to jump Ianto, Jack Finally says the Three Little Words, M/M, Owen is a Prat - Again, Pretty awkward situation after having been caught in flagranti by your co-workers, Slightly dubious Consent - But really only slightly, Vampire Jack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 01:38:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10843806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celedan/pseuds/celedan
Summary: Ianto is benched at home because of a sprained wrist when Gwen calls that Jack has been kidnapped by aliens and turned into some kind of space Vampire. Great. And that he has escaped. Oh joy.And suddenly, he stands before Ianto's door.





	Visceral

Slightly tetchy, Ianto picked up his ringing mobile – with his left hand, mind you, because his right was bandaged. He looked at the display. Oh great, Gwen. She was second on his list of people he’d rather not see or talk to at the moment (Jack Harkness being first on this list because Ianto was pissed off at him that Jack had benched him yesterday needlessly for two days to give his hand a chance to start healing without any surprise alien-hunting or lifting of heavy archive boxes) since it was her fault that he’d sprained his wrist. Well, no,  _fault_ was a bit unfair to say since it had been a stupid accident with an alien artefact yesterday, but she wasn’t completely faultless. Normally, he wouldn’t hold something like this against one of his colleagues, but in that case she’d acted like her typical self, acting with her heart rather than her head, and that had led to an impulsive situation caused by her. And to top it off, Jack had to go and treat him like he was made of glass. There was no reason to send him home to recuperate. Everyone on the team had been hurt much worse in the past, including him... But all right, so be it.

He picked up, sighing heavily.

“Gwen, what’s the matter?” he asked more jovially than he felt. 

For a split-second, there was silence on the other end which made Ianto suspicious immediately.

“It’s about Jack,” she started cautiously.

Oh joy. What had he done now!? Ianto moaned inwardly. But under all the exasperation he felt, there sprang up a nagging worry. If Jack had managed to get himself killed again, Gwen wouldn’t call him. And judging from her tone of voice, it had to be bad.

“Yesterday, after you'd gone home… we had this run-in with, I don’t know, with these aliens. They captured Jack.”

Ianto’s blood froze in his veins all at once. “Is he all right?” he managed to choke out.

Gwen was silent once more. “No,” she finally answered. “Not really.”

“Gwen!”

“Yeah, sorry. We managed to free him, but it was already too late. They had, they transformed him into… into some kind of monster.”

Ianto took a deep, calming breath. “Define  _monster_ ,” he requested numbly.

“I don’t know,” Gwen cried. “He’s aggressive and violent, like a wild beast. He doesn’t recognise anybody.” Ianto clearly heard the unspoken “he doesn’t recognise me”, and tried not to bristle at that. “These aliens were some kind of space vampires, and they turned him into one of them. Kinda...”

Tiredly, Ianto rubbed his brow with the back of his bandaged hand. “And this happened yesterday.”

“Yes.”

“And nobody thought that I should know about that?” Since he was only the boyfriend, but do go on, Miss Cooper.

“Sorry, Ianto.” Gwen sounded really apologetic which placated Ianto somewhat. “We’ve kept him in the cells since yesterday, and Owen tries to find a cure ever since, but nothing seems to work.”

“And…” He couldn’t believe that he was gonna suggest that. “And if you kill him? That should reverse the… infection.”

Gwen sucked in a breath audibly. “Yeah, we thought about it although it really shouldn’t be an option. But this morning, Owen gave up in finding a cure, so… Yeah, we wanted to do it, even if we weren’t sure  _who_ of us should do it, but…”

Oh god. A  _but_ .

“It didn’t work.”

“What do you mean, it didn’t work?!”

“We tried to shoot him, but his wounds just healed, he didn’t die.”

“Great,” Ianto moaned. “Now we have an immortal who can’t be incapacitated to top it off.”

“There’s more.”

He winced at Gwen’s words.

“He escaped.”

“He what?!”

Gwen winced. “And he… Oh Ianto, it’s so horrible. We’re trying to track him down at the moment, but he’s evading us. We can only follow his trace…”

“Which is?” Ianto did have a bad feeling with this.

“Some property damage. Scared and… hurt people…”

Fuck.

“Come pick me up. I’ll help you.”

“No!” Gwen cried. “You’re hurt. I don’t want you to get hurt further. Jack… Jack would never forgive himself if he hurt you.”

“I’m not a child!” Ianto seethed.

“No, but you’re important to him,” Gwen countered gently, which made Ianto stop dead in his tracks.

“Oh,” he breathed. 

“Let’s deal with this, love. We’ll find him, and then we’ll… well. We'll find a way. When you come back to work tomorrow, he’ll be as good as new.” 

Ianto didn’t like it, but Gwen was probably right. He wouldn’t be of much help to them, and time was of the highest essence at the moment  lest Jack actually killed somebody.

“All right,” he conceded reluctantly. “But keep me informed.”

“Will do, Ianto. Bye.”

The silence in his flat after Gwen had hung up was stifling and oppressive. For a moment, Ianto played with the thought of going out, no matter where. But that was a stupid idea. He knew himself, he would only go start looking for Jack on his own, and that wouldn’t help anybody. Least of all Jack.

A sudden commotion outside his flat made him startle in alarm. Cautiously, he went to the door, and stepped out of his flat. What he saw out in the hallway made his blood go cold. Jack was there. At the moment about to attack the elderly woman from the flat above.

Not thinking anything through, Ianto simply acted. “Jack!” he cried commandingly, although he felt anything but.

Jack stopped abruptly at hearing Ianto’s voice, and he let off the terrified woman. When Jack turned to him, Ianto could see how really out of his mind the other man was, Gwen hadn't exaggerated. His eyes were red. Not bloodshot, but truly red, the blue of his iris was completely gone, exchanged with a deep blood-red. He looked like a demon like that. The blood splattered over his clothes and face didn’t help matters.

When Mrs. Turner suddenly whimpered in terror, Jack growled softly in warning, baring his teeth which turned out to really have become those of a vampire – his canines were longer and sharply pointed –, but he didn’t turn to her any more. He held his intense gaze fixed on Ianto, not letting him out of his sight even for one second.

Ianto’s mind raced. Gwen had said that Jack was violent, and didn’t recognise anybody. But then, what was he doing here? Why had he come to find Ianto of all people? So, since Jack had gone to all this trouble to get to Ianto, leaving a trail of terror throughout the city, he thought with a wince, Ianto was convinced that Jack wasn’t here to hurt him. Maybe... He didn't dare to hope, but maybe Jack had instinctively wanted to seek comfort – or stating his dominance or somewhat – with his... mate...

Thus reassured, and a little elated at the possible implications of Jack's actions, he carefully held out his hand to Jack. “Come on,” he coaxed him like a hurt and frightened animal. “Come inside, please.”

For a second, Jack didn’t stir, only watching Ianto, but then he slowly stepped forward, and followed Ianto into his flat.

He threw one last apologetic look at Mrs. Turner, and made a mental note to slip his neighbour a  dose of Retcon, before he closed the door safely behind Jack and himself.

Jack stood in the middle of the living room, looking around nervously for a moment, his nostrils flaring as he took in Ianto's scent suffusing the whole room which seemed to calm his jittery nerves somewhat, but then Ianto came nearer, and all of his frighteningly intense attention turned fully on Ianto again.

He held up his hands so that Jack could see them. “It’s all right,” he tried to soothe him. “You’re safe.”

Finally, the tension seemed to bleed from Jack’s body visibly, and his whole body strained towards Ianto. Ianto was only centimetres from touching him when his mobile rang once more. Jack startled, and bristled, growling savagely at the stupid piece of technology.

Cursing, Ianto stepped back to grab his mobile while reaching out soothingly. Jack quivered nervously, but held still, Ianto's hand hovering before his chest in a commanding stay-put gesture.

“What!” Ianto barked into the speaker.

A perplexed silence greeted him, but then Gwen’s voice sounded. “I wanted to update you. You have to stay in your flat, Jack was spotted near your street.”

“I know,” Ianto answered calmly, never letting Jack out of his sight. Probably, if Jack sensed the agitation Ianto himself felt at the moment, it may transfer onto him, and he may become violent after all.

“Why? Can you see him from your window?”

“No. He’s here.”

“He… he’s in your flat... Together with you?!”

“Yes.”

“Oh god, stay calm, we’re on our way.”

“No, you’re not,” Ianto replied firmly. “I have everything under control. He won’t hurt me.”

“Ianto!”

“No. Stay away. Let me deal with him.” And with that, he hung up. Throwing his mobile onto the nearest surface, he turned all of his attention to Jack once more.

He took a step.

Jack’s nostrils flared, but he kept still.

Then he took another. And another. And finally, he stood within touching distance. He gently raised his hand, and put it on Jack’s blood-smeared cheek, not caring about the mess at the moment, not even if it was Jack’s or another’s blood. As he’d hoped, Jack leant into his touch, and then he bridged the remaining distance between them to press himself against Ianto. He buried his nose in Ianto’s neck, and started to scent him.

Ianto let him, but this close, he could smell the blood, and it, as always, raised unpleasant memories for him of Canary Wharf, of Lisa, and of the Brecon Beacons. Determined, he wrapped his arms carefully around Jack’s shoulders, and started to guide him into the bathroom. The other man went willingly, never letting go of Ianto.

Inside the bathroom, Ianto gently pushed him away to get rid of the bloody clothes. Jack was meek as a lamb while Ianto undressed him slightly awkwardly because of his bandaged wrist, only Jack's hands didn’t stay idle. They continuously wandered over Ianto’s arms and shoulders, always touching him, seemingly reassuring himself of Ianto's presence. He growled softly when he spotted the hurt wrist, but Ianto ignored him, and simply continued.

When Ianto had him naked, he wanted to steer him into the shower, but he hesitated. And after a moment’s consideration, Ianto stripped off his own clothes quickly as well (he’d never been more grateful for uncomplicated sweatpants and a T-Shirt than in this moment).

At this, Jack’s interest perked up at seeing Ianto’s naked body that was revealed to his intense gaze gradually.

Ianto recognised the look of interest in Jack’s eyes, and he had to suppress a chuckle. In that aspect, nothing could change Jack Harkness as it seemed.

He used this to his advantage, allowing Jack’s searching hands access to his body while he slowly walked him backwards to the shower. He even ignored Jack’s hands while he turned on the water, and briskly started cleaning him off of all the blood. Only when the other man was clean again, even if still not himself, Ianto allowed himself to be affected by Jack's wandering hands, he himself just standing there, and holding him loosely. Despite his clearly sexual intentions, Jack was quite affectionate and meek the whole time, pressing himself against Ianto in search for bodily contact, and burying his nose in Ianto's neck gently, lapping up the water gathered there, as well as playfully nipping at the wet skin. Eventually, his searching lips worked their way up Ianto's neck to his jaw, and finally to his mouth. Ianto gave a small whimper when Jack forcefully kissed him, clinging now harder to the other man. He returned the kiss enthusiastically, opening his mouth to Jack's questing tongue. Groaning, he gave as good as he got, although, he thought, for the sake of propriety, it probably should feel wrong doing this with Jack in this state. But that thought was at the forefront of his mind only for a split-second. He still desired Jack, no matter what, and that made it okay for him. As a matter of fact, propriety had long stopped being an issue for them, both working for Torchwood as well as in his relationship with Jack Harkness. So, while they battled for dominance through the kiss, Ianto eagerly put his hands on Jack's ass cheeks, and pulled him even closer. They both moaned – well, Jack growled – into each other's mouths when their stone-hard erections collided. Jack started to urge Ianto back against the cold shower wall, but Ianto didn't thrust Jack in this condition to safely manage shower sex without one of them – probably Ianto – taking a fall and splitting their head open. So, he gently but decidedly pushed Jack away, and turned off the water. He kissed him apologetically when Jack whined softly like a lost puppy, and he lost no time in exiting the shower, pulling Jack with him. Efficiently, he grabbed a towel, and rubbed Jack dry, then himself before dropping it onto the floor in an uncharacteristic fashion of messiness.

He lured Jack into the bedroom, the other man meekly following him, never taking his eager, hungry gaze from Ianto's naked body. Its intensity seemed to burn Ianto, as if a thousand little flames licked over his bare skin, and he had to suppress a blissful shudder. Stopping before his bed, Ianto pulled Jack down for another kiss to which the older man all too gladly complied. He let out an indignant, surprised squeak which was swallowed by the kiss when Jack pushed him backwards so that they both fell onto the mattress, Jack's body colliding with his, blanketing him hotly and comfortingly heavy.

Immediately, Ianto spread his legs to let Jack slip between the vee of his thighs which caused their erections to bump and rub against each other. Both men moaned, and Ianto fumbled in the bedside table drawer for the tube of lube as long as he still had the chance to do so. Shakily, he managed to squeeze a heavy dollop onto the palm of his left hand which he slipped between their bodies to grab Jack's cock. With slightly clumsy fingers which trembled in arousal, he firmly coated Jack liberally because he doubted that the other man cared much for mundane matters like preparation at the moment. As if hearing Ianto's thoughts, Jack grabbed Ianto's thighs firmly to spread them even more and wrap them around his waist. And in the next moment, Ianto felt the slippery head of Jack's cock against his unprepared entrance, bumping insistently against the tight ring of muscle. He took a deep breath, and pulled Jack down for a sizzling kiss when suddenly, the other man pushed forward forcefully, sheathing himself in one stroke. Ianto groaned into Jack's mouth. It hurt, but fortunately, this wasn't the first time they had sex with only the barest preparation, so in the end, it was a good pain more than anything else. He couldn't expect any gentleness under these circumstances, or Jack's usual finesse for that matter, but that was okay. Somehow, this animalistic rutting turned him on like he never would have thought. He clung fiercely to Jack, and met every forceful thrust of the other man with a raise of his own hips.

For long minutes, the only sounds in the otherwise silent bedroom were the two men's heavy breathing, gasping moans and groans as well as the sound of wet flesh meeting wet flesh forcefully. Rapidly, Ianto felt his climax rising, and he clung more tightly to Jack before he was swept away by ecstasy. He gasped when his orgasm washed over him, and his nails dug deeply into Jack's shoulders. The older man gave a huff, and then his even pace stuttered, his thrusts became jerky before he stiffened, and emptied himself inside his lover's passage. In the same moment, he buried his face in Ianto's neck, and bit down hard.

Ianto groaned when Jack bit him, the razor sharp fangs breaking the skin, but he didn't try to stop him. The endorphins racing through his body dulled the pain, and because of them, he didn't care anyway at the moment. Panting from exhaustion, he wrapped his arms more tightly around Jack, and buried the other man in a protective embrace when the strength of his arms left him so that he couldn't hold himself up any more. He lay his head down on Ianto's chest, his body going completely limp with satiation.

Ianto lay awake for a long time after while he cradled a sleeping Jack protectively against him. This gave him some time to think things over at least.

He still hadn't come to terms with everything after pondering the situation for a while, when he absent-mindedly brought his fingers up to his neck to timidly prod the bite.

Ianto frowned when his fingers just came into contact with undamaged skin. He poked harder, but there was no trace of the bite left. With a sense of foreboding, he trailed his tongue carefully over his canines. Yep, they were much sharper and pointy than before.

His blood run cold when he realised all at once what this had to mean: Jack had infected him through the bite.

But somehow at second glance, the thought didn't alarm him as much as it probably should. Quite the opposite; he'd already accepted it he realised. He couldn't explain it, but he just  _knew_ that he wouldn't end up as a mindless beast like Jack. It was only theoretical thinking, mind you, but he believed that the poison, or whatever it was that had transformed Jack, had been much stronger coming directly from the aliens themselves. Jack still was partly human, and maybe that lessened the effects of the dose that Ianto had received from Jack. He wouldn't tell this to anybody, ever, but secretly, he was almost glad. For Jack's sake (and a little bit because he was selfish, and wanted to keep Jack) because chances were that Ianto was practically invulnerable if not immortal now. This would mean that he could stay together with Jack. Maybe not forever, but at least a lot longer than he'd anticipated. Otherwise, even if he didn't meet an untimely end in the line of duty, and instead grew old, his time with Jack was limited nonetheless. If Jack – or Owen – wanted to realise it or not, Jack needed someone that he wouldn't lose again after only a few years. Always had. And if that someone was to be Ianto although the young man was of the opinion that Jack deserved someone worthier than an insignificant nobody from Wales, then so be it. If Jack wanted to spend the rest of the time they had together – however much that may be –, then Ianto would embrace that chance whole-heartedly. 

 

Ianto continued to ponder this new development for some time more, all the while holding Jack tight, when suddenly his bedroom door banged open, and in stormed the others.

Ianto flinched, and Jack startled awake, sitting up lightning-fast when he sensed the seeming danger. Only quick thinking on Ianto's side, their nakedness in front of the others be damned for the moment, prevented Jack from attacking the team. Hastily, in an iron grip, he wrapped his arms around the quivering body that was poised to strike.

“Easy,” he murmured into Jack's ear, stroking his injured hand (oh hey, _recently_ injured as he realised) soothingly up and down Jack's back. “Ev'rything's all right. They're our friends, do you remember. We're safe.”

He glared reproachfully at the other's who, for a moment, stood frozen in Ianto's bedroom, their weapons drawn and pointed at Jack, but then they seemed to be shaken from their stupor, and lowered their weapons. Tosh and Gwen looked away immediately, even if Gwen seemed hard pressed to do so without sneaking a glance at Jack's naked body, and Owen couldn't seem to decide if he wanted to smirk smugly, scrunch up his face in disgust, or scoff dismissively if his grimaces were any indicator.

“Get out, I have everything under control!” Ianto hissed, and that prompted them to really get a move on, and leave the room.

For a few seconds there hung a tense silence in the room so thick you could cut it like a knife through butter, but then Ianto sighed shakily, and shoved the thought of the team waiting impatiently in his living room into a far back corner of his mind. Instead, he turned to Jack who looked desperately torn between wanting nothing more than to race after the intruders, or sweep Ianto up in an embrace to keep him safe. In a twisted way, it was pretty endearing.

But Jack's whole attention immediately snapped to Ianto when the younger man put his hands on Jack's neck, prompting the other man to look questioningly at him.

“I will deal with them, but in the meantime, I want you to stay here,” Ianto said firmly, which earned him a protesting whine from Jack, proving that he understood speech to a certain degree. “Quit the whining, Jack Harkness, you do as I tell you, understood!”

Jack looked defiantly at Ianto for a few moments, even sticking out his lower lip in a pout until he finally relented, and evaded Ianto's stern glare. He huffed in answer.

Ianto smiled at him despite everything, and pecked him quickly on the lips before he climbed from the bed, and threw on his morning robe. He cast one last stern look at a meekly looking Jack, then he left the bedroom, closing the door tightly behind him.

 

“What did you think you were doing?!” he snapped the moment he stepped into his living room, briskly pulling the belt of his morning robe tighter, regretting immediately that he hadn't taken the time to at least put on underwear. “Did you _want_ him to attack you?”

“We were worried about you,” Gwen admitted sheepishly. “We thought he would attack you as well sooner or later.”

“Yeah,” Owen chimed in. “What did _you_ think you were doing by the way?! Letting him into your flat, and even letting him jump you. That's disgusting and low, even for you, Ianto.”

Ianto narrowed his eyes. “What's that supposed to mean,” he demanded with a deceptively calm voice.

“Owen!” Tosh and Gwen hissed at the same time, and threw the doctor scandalised looks. Gwen grabbed his arm, and shook him a few times. 

“No, shut up.” Owen wrenched his arm from Gwen's grip, and sneered at Ianto. “Hasn't anyone of you realised how sick this thing between them is?! How unhealthy?” He pointed his finger at Ianto. “You are so submissively dependent on Jack that you even let him fuck you when he is nothing more than an animal. It's so pathetic how much you cling to him, begging for a scrap of attention even if we all know he won't want you any more one day because he's become tired of you. I really feel sorry for you.”

“That's enough, Owen, you go too far!” Tosh hissed, and now it was her who grabbed Owen's arm forcefully, and this time, he didn't manage to shake her off.

Ianto and Owen faced each other for a few endlessly seeming, tense moments, before Ianto, trembling with rage, calmly told him, “Get out of my flat, Owen. You're not welcome here.”

“My pleasure,” the doctor sneered, and stormed from the flat.

An oppressive silence echoed the loud bang as Owen threw the front door shut. The three Torchwood agents awkwardly avoided looking at each other.

“Ianto...” Gwen broke the silence after a while uneasily. “I'm really sorry for what just happened. I don't know why he said those horrible things. I... I think he's just scared like all of us, and being a dick because of it.”

Ianto shrugged. “Doesn't matter. I have to get back to Jack. I'm surprised he stayed in my room this long despite all the shouting.” He nodded curtly at the two women, then he left them standing, not caring if they left or stayed, to return into his bedroom.

He met Jack's eye when he came in, and closed the door behind himself. From his position on the bed, exactly where Ianto had left him, Jack looked at him with a questioning, but at the same time fiercely protective impression as if he wanted to go after Owen, and punish him for the way he'd behaved towards Ianto for he had to have heard the raised voices between the two men.

“It's all right.” Ianto smiled at Jack a little thinly since he felt anything but all right. He crossed the room, and climbed into bed. The second he opened his arms, Jack moved into them, and in turn wrapped his arms protectively around Ianto as well. 

“We'll get through this somehow,” he whispered while he greedily absorbed Jack's body heat. He even had to laugh when, after a while, the immortal started to tug at Ianto's morning robe in the search for naked skin. He allowed Jack to slide the cloth from his shoulders, and then push him back down into the bedding with surprising gentleness. 

 

Two days later, they weren't any further in either curing Jack, or finding a way to kill him, and his condition didn't change either. Ianto desperately wanted to help with the research since he knew the alien weapons at their disposal by heart, but he didn't dare leave Jack alone in his flat. And of course, he didn't dare take him with him into the Hub. He couldn't guarantee for the other's, especially Owen's, safety.

Much to Ianto's irritation, in the end it was Owen who came upon a weapon in the archives that could work.

“Did you test it?” Ianto asked Tosh over the phone.

“Yes. It's really strong. It should work.”

“How loud is it? I can't fire an alien weapon in my living room that will alert the whole house. The same goes for any messes,” he added in an afterthought.

“Yeah, I understand your concerns, but it's almost noiseless, and it's a laser based technology. It won't leave too much mess.”

Ianto cringed, and he practically heard Tosh do the same on the other end.

“Listen to us, talking about the mechanics of killing someone as if planning a picnic.”

“I know. But now's not the time to be squeamish. Bring the weapon here, and let's hope it will work.”

“Maybe we should sedate him?” Tosh wondered uneasily. “He's not thinking clearly, so he probably won't simply stand there and let us shoot him. He would be hard pressed to allow it if he were himself, but now he acts almost solely on instincts.”

“I think that's for the best. Bring something, will you... and since he will insist on coming, too, leave Owen out of my flat until Jack is knocked out.”

“Good idea... And you? Will you be all right having him there? He won't apologize, you know that.”

Ianto sighed. “It's work related, so I have to grit my teeth. Just don't expect me to invite him to movie nights.”

Tosh grunted in assent. “We'll be there shortly.” And with that, she hung up.

 

When the team arrived, they send Tosh up to Ianto's flat alone, in her pocket a syringe with a very strong narcotic. She watchfully stepped into the flat after Ianto'd opened the door for her, and she stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted Jack hovering in the entrance to the living room like an overgrown vulture, scrutinising her suspiciously.

“It's all right,” Ianto said, but brought himself between Tosh and Jack nonetheless. Surreptitiously, she slipped Ianto the syringe, and decided to stay where she was, and let Ianto deal with Jack alone. So, Ianto went over to Jack who snuggled up to Ianto the moment he came into touching distance. This even brought a smile to Tosh's lips. “He doesn't seem all that dangerous now,” she chuckled. “More like a big cat wanting to be cuddled.”

Ianto chuckled wryly. “Yeah, constantly.”

Tosh blushed as she recalled the situation they'd surprised their two colleagues in three days ago. Although Jack was affectionate to the extreme at the moment as well, at least they were dressed this time. She watched Ianto returning Jack's loving ministrations, but then, without batting an eye – although she knew that it had to be hard for him –, plunged the syringe into Jack's neck. The captain made a surprised noise, and his hand flew to his neck. He looked at Ianto accusingly, even a little betrayed, but the narcotic had started to work already, so that his hand just sagged limply down again halfway to his neck, the rest of his body suddenly going limp as well. Ianto quickly caught him, and gently brought him down onto the floor, cradling him for a moment, before he laid Jack down to stand up. He met Tosh's eye. “Get this weapon up here. I want to get this over with once and for all.”

Tosh nodded, and called up the others via comm.

A few minutes later, Gwen and Owen came in, Owen carrying a futuristic, but all in all pretty cliché science fiction looking gun made from highly polished silver metal. Ianto remembered the thing. He'd filed it himself, and immediately, call number and storage location flashed before his inner eye.

Which wasn't very helpful at the moment, though.

“I'll do it,” Ianto declared firmly instead, and held out his hand. 

Owen frowned, then sneered while he grabbed the gun tighter instinctively. “What, that the way to finally fulfil your vow to kill Jack one day for the thing with Lisa without feeling guilty at the same time?”

“You're not my shrink, Owen, so kindly shut up, and give me this damn gun,” Ianto bit out through clenched teeth, and snapped his fingers demandingly.

Owen snorted, but handed the weapon over. They all gathered behind Ianto, who pointed the weapon at Jack.

“How accurate is the aim? I don't want his head to explode.”

“It's variable,” Tosh explained, grimacing at the image. “The program we've chosen leaves wounds only as big as a needle point, but its outcome is pretty effective nonetheless.”

Ianto nodded, then aimed for Jack's forehead, and pulled the trigger.

Before he could decide if he'd rather close his eyes, a thin green-coloured laser beam shot from the weapon, and into Jack's forehead, leaving a tiny, thankfully not messy hole behind. He didn't even twitch when he was struck. The only indication that Jack was dead was that he'd stopped breathing. To make sure, Ianto crouched down beside Jack, and took his pulse. He sighed in relief. “He's dead,” he announced, and behind him, he heard the others take relieved breaths as well.

Ianto laid the weapon beside him onto the floor. “Please go now. There's nothing more you can do.” He didn't look at the others when he said that, but kept his gaze firmly fixed onto Jack's lifeless body.

Gwen made a protesting noise, but Tosh must have cut her off because instead she only said, “All right, Ianto. Call us when he's back to normal.”

Ianto nodded. “Of course.”

A hand belonging to Gwen appeared in his peripheral vision as she collected the gun, then footsteps were heard before the front door closed.

Ianto breathed out slowly in relief. Then, he cradled Jack into his arms and waited.

 

He didn't have to wait long, maybe five minutes, when Jack suddenly flailed in his arms, and sucked in heaving breaths. Ianto tightened his arms around him, and whispered soothing nonsense to him until he'd calmed down.

“What happened?” Jack asked, the first words in three days, and sagged back against Ianto.

“You don't remember?” Ianto asked tentatively.

“No. Why have I obviously died in your living room?” He looked around wildly in confusion.

Ianto had to chuckle involuntarily because this whole thing was just so absurd, but nonetheless, he pressed a kiss against Jack's temple while he decided how much he would tell him. There were a few things he didn't need to know yet, and since the others didn't know either, Ianto could keep this secret with good consciousness for now.

“You've been bitten by some alien vampire, and turned into one of them,” Ianto explained. “That was three days ago. I was still at home because of my wrist.” Of which he had to remember to keep it bandaged for the time being to not arouse suspicion. “Then, suddenly, you stood before my door.”

“I don't understand.” Jack frowned. “Why? Where was I before that?”

Ianto cringed at Jack's off-hand comment, then immediately scolded himself a fool for being so touchy, thus he continued explaining as if nothing was wrong. “The others had put you in the cells, but you escaped.”

“Did I... Did I hurt anyone?”

At the sound of Jack's fearful, desperate voice, Ianto couldn't stay cross with him for that careless comment. “Nothing bad.”

Suddenly, Jack sat up, and looked at Ianto with wide eyes, checking him out frantically for any injuries. “But what about you?! I didn't... God, I would never forgive myself if I'd have hurt you.” Agitated, he carded his fingers through his hair until Ianto stopped him. He gently pulled his hands down, and instead cradled Jack's cheek with his “good” hand. “I'm okay. You didn't hurt me.”

Jack wrenched away from Ianto's touch. “How could you let me in?! You couldn't have known that I wouldn't hurt you!”

Ianto bristled. “What should I have done in your opinion? Hm? Let you attack my neighbour who you'd already cornered, about to attack her when I came upon you? Let you tear down the whole house in your attempt to get to me? If you like it or not, Jack, some instinct of yours compelled you to seek  _me_ out of all people. Maybe you should ask yourself why, but for my part, I just  _knew_ that you wouldn't hurt me. You can't remember it yourself, but I know you, even when you're not yourself, and I knew I wasn't in any danger even for a second. Trust me on this.”

Ianto evaded Jack's gaze so that the older man couldn't see the hurt in his eyes. Now, he felt really foolish all of a sudden. To think that he actually meant something to Jack. Obviously, he did, just only on a subconscious level, but Jack didn't seem to be able to admit it out loud or to himself.

“Ianto...” Jack sighed, and reached out, and Ianto had to force himself to stay still, and not flinch at Jack's touch. “I didn't mean it that way...”

“Which way?” he snapped stubbornly.

Jack sighed anew. “It's not about  _why_ I came to you of all people – I thought that was pretty clear. It's just... I was just so terrified for a minute. Even though I love you, I still could have hurt you. I could have been so far gone that the slightest thing might have set me off so that even you wouldn't have been safe.”

“W-wait a minute,” Ianto stammered. “What did you just say?!” 

Jack had lowered his gaze, staring at his tightly balled fists resting on his thighs. “That I was terr...”

“Jack!”

Jack looked up at Ianto's desperate tone, and Ianto gasped in shock at seeing the tears in Jack's eyes. “I love you, Ianto Jones. Never doubt that. So, please forgive my outburst, but I was so, so afraid. Your well-being is the most important thing to me.”

Ianto had to swallow heavily around the lump constricting his throat. “N-no. I'm sorry for being so testy. It's just... It's been a long three days.”

Jack nodded, taking a shaky breath, but evading Ianto's gaze once more.

“And Jack?” 

At hearing the command in Ianto's voice, he looked up again questioningly.

“I love you, too, you stupid idiot.”

Jack gifted him with a relieved if a little watery grin before he leant forward to enfold Ianto in his arms.

**End**

 

 


End file.
